Latest News

Vietnam coal-fired power emissions hit brand-new highs in early 2024: Maguire

Carbon dioxide emissions from Vietnam's coalfired power plants jumped to a new high for the very first month of the year in 2024 as the country's. power manufacturers cranked output to prevent a repeat of power. interruptions seen last year.

Vietnam has actually almost doubled imports of thermal coal so far. this year from the exact same duration in 2023 as the federal government aims. to assure foreign services and financiers that power products. will remain uninterrupted in 2024.

The rise in coal purchases by the world's 10th largest coal. customer recommends coal-fired emissions might climb up greater still in. the months ahead, weakening international efforts to cut down on. fossil fuel usage and pollution.

NEW HIGHS

January's coal-fired emissions tally of 11 million metric. tons of CO2 and comparable gases is the highest on record for. that month, data from energy think tank Cinder programs.

The January overall is nearly 70% above the emissions load in. the same month of 2023, and is approximately 30% above the January. average for the previous 5 years - indicating a clear break with. the energy generation trends of previous years.

Coal-fired electricity generation was 12.75 terawatt hours. ( TWh) in January, 68% more than in January 2023 and the greatest. regular monthly overall given that last July.

Coal produced 55% of the country's overall electrical energy in. January, up from approximately 46% in 2023 as a whole.

Overall electrical energy generation from all sources was 23.35 TWh,. or 30% more than the very same month in 2023.

The high coal-fired and overall generation totals suggest. that Vietnam's power companies are clearly dedicated to raising. output, most likely in action to pressure from the government to. prevent the blackouts seen in 2023 that harmed output at numerous major. factories and production lines.

Recovering commercial activity in neighbouring China is. likewise likely spurring Vietnam's power manufacturers to raise. production, as several key Vietnamese industries have strong. ties to China and tend to see pickups in order flows whenever. Chinese customer need increases.

SEASONAL PEAKS

As Vietnam's yearly power emissions historically peak around. May and June when need for cooling is greatest, the. rise in emissions at the start of the year recommends potential. for additional emissions increases over the coming months and. for full-year emissions tallies to smash previous records.

For 2023 as a whole, Vietnam's coal-fired emissions were a. record 110 million lots, and up from 90 million loads in 2022.

If the strong rate of emissions seen so far in 2024 is. sustained through the rest of the year, then a full-year overall. of more than 130 million tons is possible.

The specific volume of power emissions will eventually be. figured out by the power mix available to Vietnam's power. producers during peak demand periods.

The second largest source of electrical power in Vietnam after. coal is hydropower, which produced around 30% of the nation's. electrical energy in 2023.

In January, hydro dams represented just 20.5% of total. generation due to withstanding drought concerns, which required power. firms to ratchet up production from other sources.

If the country gets improved rain levels over the. coming months, hydro generation might rebound greatly and enable. for curbs to coal generation later on in the year.

Higher production from solar and wind farms might also allow. for power service providers to cap coal use, particularly throughout the. sunniest months of the year when a/c need is at. its highest.

Wind electricity generation scaled a record in January as. new wind farms came online, and wind output need to continue to. get over the rest of the year as brand-new centers circulation power. onto the grid.

Nevertheless, solar and wind farms generated only 13.6% of. Vietnam's overall electrical power in 2023, and will likely struggle to. push their cumulative share of overall generation much higher. over the near term amid ongoing issues about the profitability. of new renewable resource tasks.

That indicates power firms will stay heavily dependent on coal. for a bulk of Vietnam's power needs for the foreseeable. future, and may continue lifting coal-fired emissions to new. highs for several more years.

<< The viewpoints revealed here are those of the author, a. columnist .>

(source: Reuters)